Ice-making machine.



T. H. RAY.

ICE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IuNEz. |916.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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T. H. RAY.

ICE MAKING MACHINE.

vAPPLICATION FILED JUNEzs. 191e.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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ICE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man JUNE 26.1916.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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THOMAS I-I. RAY, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ICE-MAKING MACHINE.

Laramie.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten naar. 2o, wir? Application filed .Tune 26, 1916. Serial No. 105,796.

To all whom t may concern Beit known that I, THOMAS H. RAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of yMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, lhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice- Making' Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide means First, to obtain a perfect cake of ice, t'. c. a substantially rectangular block of clear ice Without a core.

Second, to reduce the time required for freezing and harvesting the ice, say, onehalf over the method employed by any prior plate-system.

Third, to render the ice-forming` means fool-proof? by so designing the movable freezing` plates that they cannot, while being handled, beleft in improper freezing positions without being at once noticed by any man of ordinary intelligence. 4 These obfects are attained by what term a "block-plate-cell-system; and by this term I mean an ice-machine which has a freezing-plate, two hollow metal-dividingblades contacting' said plate but at right angles thereto, the three forming three sides of a cell; vand two hollow metal blades `having' a vertical space between them to permit agitation of the water within the cell, said blades being pivotally mounted, and, when 'moved into contact with said two dividingblades, substantially forming the fourth side of the rectangular ice-forming cell;

the bottom of said cell being the bottom ofl the water tank in which the ice-machine is mounted.

ln the drawings illustrating' the principle of my invention and the best mode now known to me of embodying the same in op-` erative structure,

Figure l is a perspective View of a section of a freezing-tank embodying my invention, wherein the ice is assumed to be about ready for harvesting.

Fig. 2 shows in perspective a portion of the freezing-tank with water withdrawn, with a pivoted ice-forming blade moved out of freezing position to allow a pair of tongs to be hitched on to a block of ice, for the purpose of lifting it out of the tank. t also shows my invention with parts in normal freezing position, some containing ice blocks,'and others empty.

Figs. 3 and i are respectively an elevation and a plan; the elevation being a section on line 3 3, Fig. d; all to make plain the construction of a suitable tank, and the iceforming plate, dividing-blades, rocking iceforming blades, and connections and piping for the refrigerant liquid, and for warm liquid for releasing the ice from the iceforming surfaces.

A water tank A, Figs. 1 and 2, is provided with one or more lines of hollow icefreezing plates B, B', Figs. l, 2 and 3, such as disclosed'and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,077,916, issued to me November' 4L, 1915, for improvements in icemaking machine; and refrigerant medium, as ammonia, brine or other equivalent refrigerant, entering a bottom feed-header F ig'. 3, and rising through the freezing plates c, and then out and away from a top returnheader d, as shown in the sectioned portions of Fig.l 3 and indicated by arrows. To furnish this supply of refrigerant, there are provided the well-known connections. For example,anhydrous ammonia being used as a refrigerant, there leads from a liquid-header C, Figs. 3 and 4, outside of the tank, a liquid-feed-pipe D with a valve E therein, which pipe is connected to the open end of the bottom feed-header Z); while a returnpipe F with a valve G' leads away from the open end of the top retLu'n-hcader cl. For the purpose of harvesting the ice, hot gas may be properly introduced into each bottom-header b from a hot-gas-header I, outside of the tank, and'having a gas feed-pipe J with a valve K opening' into the liquidfeed-pipe D ahead of its valve E. To melt any ice that may freeze to the false floor L of the tank, a hot-gas-release-pipe M leads from the hot-gas-header I to one end of each hot-gas-coil N below the false floor, the other end of each coil being' in turn connected by a pipe O with valve l?, Ato a hot-gas return-header Q, also outside of the tank.

Adjacent to the edges of the plates, as B, or B, Fig'. Q, forminga space between the plates, there is a hollow metallic dividingblade l0, V-shaped in cross-section, and eX- tending from the false floor L of the tank to a point above the top surface of the return-header Z of the ice-freezing plates B.

T his dividing blade 10 is provided with feet or flangesl 11 bent into planes parallel with the planes of the main freezing plates B and headers Z) and (l, the rear edge of the blade being designed to be in intimate contact with the freezing surfaces of the main ficezing plates and headers, Where it is so held by means of bolts passing through the feet into a wooden sill 1Q which is designed to support a tank Cover, not shown, and in and to which the return head is likewise mounted and secured. A similar hollouv ice dividing` blade may be likewise mounted and secured in intimate contact with the opposite side of the main ice-freezing plates, as clearly appears from an inspection of Figs. 1, 2 and Je, it being understood, of course, that the number of icesdividing blades may be duplicated to the extent desired. An end ice-dividing-blade 13 shown in Figs. 3 and 4.-, is to prevent the Water adjacent to the Wooden end of the tank from freezing thereto. Each of the dividing blades is connected with a hot liquid or water pipe 11i, Fig. 4A, lying between the bottom and the false bottom of the tank, and connected to a hot liquid or water feed-header 21, by a pipe 21, having a valve 21h, Fig. 4, and to a main return liquid vater-header 21C, by a pipe 21d with a valve 21e; so that each dividing blade Whenever desired, may be filled with the iv arm liquid or Water, the level of the liquid being determined by an overiioiv standpipe 15 connected outside of the tank to the pipe 111-, and to a header 16 which, by a pipe not shown, may return the Water to its source of supply, through the main return waterheader 21.

1t ivill be noticed that the ice-forming plates B, Fig. Q, and each adjacent dividing blade 10, form three of the four sides rc uired for a rectangular ice-forming cell, and that they are rigid. Non' to form the remaining or fourth side of the cell, l provide two hollow metallic movable .ice-forming blades 17, pivoted at their bottoms to a pipe 18, mounted in suitable stutling boxes and extending through the ends of the tank A, Figs. 3 and 4l. This pipe, .in a manner similar to hot liquid or Water pipe 15, is connected to hot Water feed-header 21, by a pipe 18a, Fig. 3, having` a valve 18h, and to the main return water-header 21C by a pipe 18d having a valve 18e. These adjacent hollow blades arc separated vertically by a space 19 to permit a proper agitation of Water Within the cell, by the moving Water outside thereof, in the tank, during the process of freezing a block of ice. By means of this pipe 18, a Warm liquid, as Water, may be caused to flow through these movable iceforming blades, in order to release any ice formed thereon. That the Warm ivater may not rise above a certain level in these movable blades, a standing escape pipe 20, like the escape standpipe 15, is connected to the hot Water feed header 21, and to the main return ivater-header 21, outside of the tank; the top of thecscape standpipes 15 and 2() being at the high Wat-er mark set in the dividing blades and the pivoted blades. It is also to be noticed that the number of cells may be extended, and that, in such event, the number of pivoted blades Will have to be correspondingly increased; the axis of each line of pivoted blades being such that they may be simultaneously moved into or out of intimate contact vvith the adjacent edges ot the stationary ice-forming blades; and these pivoted blades being connected together by a binding rod :21 extending throughout the length of the tank, and held in said intimate Contact by lock-blocks 22X, which may be removed when it becomes necessary to move said pivoted blades aivay from said dividing blades and out of Contact with them.

./\rrauged upon the top of the false floor of the tank, parallel with the pivotal axis of. the rocking blades, is an agitation pipe QQ with a hole in its top, opposite the agitation slot or space 19 between the rocking blades 17 for each cell. By introducing air under pressure into this pipe, the water Within each cell, during the process of freezing, is sufliciently stirred to force out through the agitation space, all impurities, that Would otherwise be frozen into the ice block in each cell.

1 will now explain the operation of my invention.

The tank A is filled with water up to the point 23, Fig. 1, and for the purpose of illustration, ice is to be formed by only the main freezing plates with their cooperating dividing blades and movable blades, as indilated in Fig. el. Liquid ammonia from the liquid-header C passes to each bottom header Z) of each freezing plate in the tank; the hot gas valves K being closed. Theliquid ammonia fills the bottom blade-header expands, evaporates, producing intense cold, and under a reduced pressure, passes up through the hollow freezing plates c, c, and continues to the top header (Z, and on through return pipe F, and its valve G, into the return-header S.

The dividing blades 10, Figs. 1 and 4:, and the pivoted blades 17 are empty, that is, they contain only air, the hot Water valves 2lb and 181 being closed, and the return Water valves 21e and 18e being open. Heat begins to be absorbed from the main metal freezing plate B, the metal dividing blades 10', and the pivoted blades 17, they all being in Contact; also the heat from the vvater next to these metal surfaces, is drayvn away by conduction, and ice begins to form first, on the main plates, then on the dividing blades, and finally on the pivoted blades; but the refrigerant in the main face B.

header I is 18e and 21 are opened,

ice is being formed all one way, that is, the heat absorbed is all flowing back to the plates B. The ice Continues to form on all of the surfaces; all impurities in the water being taken care of by the agitation of the water through the space 19 being the adjacent pivoted blades. As the ice increases and approaches a solid block, the hollow space 23 in the ice, due to the agitated water, becomes less and less, and finally tends to disappear between the pivoted blades. But when this is about to happen, the block or blocks have the desired shape for harvesting, as shown in Figs. 1 and l.

Suliicient ice having been formed, the liquid return valve Gr and the feed valve E, controlling the flow of ammonia, are closed and the ice allowed to temperf7 The hot gas valve K is slightly opened, the hot gas entering the hollow freezing plates; next, the return valve G being sufficiently opened, the hot gas almost instantly melts the skin 0f ice attached to the ice main forming sur- At the same time, to sever the ice from the false floor, hot gas from the hot gas permitted to flow through the hot gas releasing pipes N, by opening the hot gas valves 24. After this skin of ice is melted, the valves controlling the flow of hot gas for this purpose are closed. The water in the tank meanwhile having been drawn od, a warm liquid, as hot water, is introduced into the stationary dividing blades 10, and the pivoted blades 17 through their respective supply pipes 14, 18. To accomplish this the valves 21e and 18e are closed; and the valves 21" and 18b are opened. The `hot Vwater rises in the dividing blades and the pivoted blades until the water begins to escape through the bends of the standpipes 15 and 20, when the feed valves 18b and 2lb are closed. After the warm water has accomplished its purpose, the escape valves and the pivoted blades and dividing blades are emptied through the main return water-header 21C. The blocks of ice thus become released from the ice-forming surfaces and the false iioor; the lock blocks 22X, Fig. 1, are removed; the pivoted blades are turned away from their respective blocks of ice, see Fig. 4, and by slightly tilting each block forward, as with a bar, a pair of tongs 25 may be slipped over the head of the block, for the purpose of quickly and easily whipping the block out of its cell and tank.

After the blocks of ice have been harvested, the pivoted blades are returned to, and locked by lock blocks, in normal freezing Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the position, the tank filled with water, and the operation for freezing new blocks repeated. My invention in its simplest form, is found in one cell, but its usefulness, of course, is immensely increased by increasing the number of cells.

Having described the construction and operation of a preferred form of it, and desiri ing to protect the same in the broadest manner legally possible,

What I claim is:

1. An ice-forming plate; two hollow metal dividing blades mount-ed upon and contacting said plate at right angles; two rocking hollow metal blades slightly separated from each other vertically, pivotally mounted at their bottom portions and adapted to be moved toward or away from said metal dividing blades, and into or out of contact with the adjacent edges of said blades.

2. An ice-forming plate; two ice-forming hollow metal dividing blades at right angles thereto, and in intimate contact therewith; two pivotally mounted ice-forming hollow metal blades having between them vertically a space to permit agitation of the water within the cell to be frozen, and adapted to move into or out of contact with the adjacent edges of the said hollow dividing blades to facilitate the removal of the ice, as by lifting, from between the cell-forming freezing surfaces; and suitable means for releasing the ice from each of said ice-forming surfaces.

3. An ice-forming plate; two hollow metal dividing blades fixed at right angles to said plate, and with said plate forming the three sides of an ice-forming cell; pipe connections with the bottom of each dividing blade whereby a warm medium may be introduced into and withdrawn from said blade; two hollow metal blades having an agitation space between them, pivotally mounted at their bottoms, and adapted to be moved toward or away from said ice-forming dividing blades, and into or out of contact with the adjacent edges of said two metal dividing blades fixed to said plate; and pipe connections with the bottom of said pivoted blades whereby a heated medium may be introduced and withdrawn from said pivoted blades; all designed to obtain all the objects of my invention.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS I-I. RAY.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

